Crime
Dakota Sebring Seeks Justice After Surviving Severe Domestic Violence By Ex-Boyfriend Dalton Ridgeway-Williams
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A Springfield woman is fighting for accountability after surviving a brutal domestic assault that nearly claimed her life.
Dakota Sebring, who turned 24 in March 2025, says her birthday became a night of terror when she was violently attacked by her ex-boyfriend of five years, Dalton Ridgeway-Williams.
Sebring reports that the assault lasted more than an hour and involved repeated strangulation, beatings, and psychological intimidation — violence she believed she would not survive.
Although she escaped and filed a police report, she says Dalton has since violated the resulting order of protection 19 times while on pretrial release, yet has served only about 60 days in jail.
Sebring states she now lives in fear, taking every possible measure to ensure her safety, yet increasingly frustrated that “a piece of paper” cannot stop someone determined to disregard the law.
Sebring had spent her birthday evening out with friends when Dalton allegedly appeared at several of the same establishments, grabbing her and issuing verbal threats.
After multiple encounters — behavior that she describes as consistent with the cycle of abuse — she eventually agreed to meet him at his residence, hoping to de-escalate the situation through conversation.
According to Sebring, Dalton began recording her upon entry, accusing her of breaking into his home but refusing to call law enforcement.
What followed, she says, was a prolonged and violent assault.
She reports being:
- Beaten and dragged inside and outside the home
- Strangled multiple times, to the point of near unconsciousness
- Humiliated, threatened, and restrained
She ultimately escaped long enough to call 911.
Dalton fled before officers arrived and turned himself in approximately two weeks later.
He was charged with aggravated domestic battery, domestic battery, and unlawful restraint, though the restraint charge was later dismissed.
Despite the severity of the case, Sebring says Dalton repeatedly violated the court-issued protection order.
Documentation includes allegations that he:
- Contacted her directly
- Used his mother as an intermediary to reach her
- Illegally accessed her financial accounts and her vehicle
- Posted threatening and harassing messages on Facebook
— including telling her to “find a safe place to spend Thanksgiving”
Each violation, according to Sebring, resulted in minimal sanctions — often just hours or days in custody.
Sebring has been granted a two-year order of protection, but she reports that Dalton continues to post about her online, a direct violation of the court’s directives.
His upcoming court hearings largely pertain to his unrelated Class X felony drug case, and Sebring fears that her domestic violence case may simply become a bargaining chip in a plea agreement rather than a priority deserving full prosecution.
She questions why a life-threatening assault is treated as less serious than the drug charges and why repeated violations of protective orders do not carry stronger consequences.
Sebring has submitted extensive evidence — including video recordings, text messages, photographs, surveillance footage, and police documentation — and hopes the justice system will finally intervene meaningfully.
She emphasizes that she remains at risk so long as Dalton continues to face minimal repercussions.
Despite the trauma she endured, Sebring recently completed nursing school and is preparing to graduate, determined to move forward with her life.
In addition to the alleged violations of the protection order, Dalton has a prior criminal history.
In 2024, he was arrested after authorities reportedly found:
- 23 pounds of marijuana
- Three firearms
- Three pounds of THC wax
- $44,477 in cash
He was charged with being an armed habitual criminal, unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, delivery of more than 5,000 grams of marijuana, and armed violence.
Crime
16-year-old Khyon Smith-Tate found shot to death inside Chipotle bathroom on edge of Temple University’s campus in North Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA — A 16-year-old boy was fatally shot inside the bathroom of a Chipotle restaurant near Temple University’s campus in North Philadelphia on Monday afternoon, police said, as students and staff returned for the first day of the Spring 2026 semester.
The shooting occurred at approximately 5:00 p.m. inside the Chipotle located in the 1100 block of West Montgomery Avenue, on the ground floor of The View at Montgomery apartment complex. The building is situated near Temple University’s Student Center and TECH Center.
Police later identified the victim as Khyon Smith-Tate, a North Philadelphia resident. Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said Smith-Tate was found with a gunshot wound to the chest and was pronounced dead at 5:24 p.m.
Temple University President John Fry and Vice President for Public Safety and Chief of Police Jennifer Griffin issued a joint statement following the incident:
“The loss of life to gun violence is a profound tragedy, and there are no words that can make sense of it. Our thoughts are with the victim’s family and loved ones.”
According to investigators, Smith-Tate and another minor entered the restaurant and requested access to the restroom. Chief Inspector Small said the shooting is believed to have occurred inside the bathroom.
Moments later, employees discovered Smith-Tate suffering from a gunshot wound. Police recovered one spent shell casing from a semiautomatic weapon inside the restroom.
Although the victim’s last known address was approximately eight blocks from the scene, authorities have not indicated what brought him to the location or what led to the shooting.
At the time of the incident, the restaurant was crowded, and multiple individuals inside the business were detained briefly for questioning. However, police said they have not yet obtained any statements from witnesses who reported hearing a gunshot.
A person of interest was taken into custody several blocks from the scene shortly after the shooting, but Chief Inspector Small said that individual’s involvement remains unclear.
As of Tuesday, police confirmed that no arrests have been made and no motive has been established.
Investigators believe Smith-Tate entered the restroom with another minor, though the whereabouts of that individual remain unknown.
Police are also seeking information about three possible suspects, described as teenagers carrying backpacks.
Chief Inspector Small noted that the area is equipped with numerous surveillance cameras, which detectives are reviewing as part of the ongoing investigation.
Authorities are asking anyone with information related to the incident to contact the Philadelphia Police Department.